[odf-discuss] Response from a GNOME Foundation board director

[Daniel Carrera]

Hi Rob,

Thanks for the explanation. I didn't know some of these details, like Jody's work being limited to resolving comments. That was very informative.


--- robert_weir at us.ibm.com wrote:

From: robert_weir at us.ibm.com
To: ODF Discussion List <odf-discuss at opendocumentfellowship.com>
Subject: Re: [odf-discuss] Response from a GNOME Foundation board director
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 20:35:46 -0400

Jeff Waugh wrote on 10/30/2007 12:33:55 AM:


> 
> So, now to respond to the issues that participants on this list have 
raised:
> 
>  * While Jody Goldberg (Gnumeric maintainer) was at Novell, he had been
>    doing rocking work on TC45-M to make sure OOXML didn't just slip 
through,
>    under-specified and uninvestigated.
> 
>  * When Jody left Novell, the GNOME Foundation joined TC45-M to support 
his
>    participation, so he could continue to "keep the bastards honest". 
OOXML


The practical difficulty here is that of timing.  While I have no doubt 
that Jody was instrumental in getting additional technical disclosures 
from Microsoft back in 2006, Ecma TC45 is not in that mode of operation 
right now.  The OOXML standard Ecma 376 has already been approved by Ecma. 
 It is now before JTC1 as DIS 29500 and the text is essentially frozen 
since December 2006.  The only changes that can be made to it must be in 
response to specific JTC1 national body ballot comments.  Jody can no 
longer go to a TC45 meeting and say, "Gee, I'd like more information added 
on X, Y and Z".  JTC1 rules forbid changes to the standard that are not 
traceable to a national body comment.

Certainly, Jody or any other Ecma TC45 member so inclined can help 
Microsoft address the thousands of ISO comments that were received, and 
help prep OOXML for approval by JTC1.  There is certainly a lot of grunt 
work to be done there.  But let's not call that anything but what it is -- 
helping Microsoft gain ISO approval. 

Of course, when then next MS Office version comes around (Office 2009 ?) 
and Microsoft wants to revise OOXML to account for new features, then I'm 
sure Ecma TC45 will reactivate for new work and Jody can continue his good 
work getting more detail from Microsoft. But right now TC45 is entirely 
focused (and limited by the process to focus) on JTC1 member comments. We 
now have dozens of JTC1 member states who voted against OOXML to "keep the 
bastards honest".

I wonder if GNOME's interests and energies might be better appreciated by 
joining OASIS and working on ODF 1.2?  We would certainly welcome Jody's 
participation there.  And unlike OOXML, ODF 1.2 is still under 
development, so his technical expertise and insights can really make a 
difference now.

Regards,

-Rob

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